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New Testing Phase

Saturday, 1 January 2011

Accounts of grace

This is a (very) brief overview of Christ's work in my life over the last year.

I have been saved for 8 years now, by God's grace and in that time I have received only good from the Lord. This does not mean that everything was or is pleasant, or nice but it certainly good. This is demonstration of Romans 8 vs 28 which promises the believer that all thing work together for good, to those who are called. God is very good, and from His hand I have received good. I would like to give an account, however, of a particular grace He has given me this last year.

Those of you who know me personally, know that at around August 2009 I moved churches to a Reformed Baptist Church. Within that move, I put myself under sound biblical, expository teaching and preaching, something I had not had before. This truly, truly is an astonishing grace of God. The experience can only be described as a man, who, for his entire life has only eaten only dry bread and stale water, being suddenly given permanent access to a large group of the most rich and toothsome foods and drinks. That He would save me... what love and grace. That He would save me and allow me to be in such a church, grace grace, grace. But God did not stop there, although if He did, He would still be infinitely worthy of all honour and praise.

God also introduced me into a group of brothers and sisters in Christ, many of them in fact but I think now specifically of our young adults bible study, known as Cornerstone. These godly young men and women have impressed me very much. They have been an encouragement to me to be godly, to grow in maturity and to show grace, something they had to show me a lot of this year. The majority of our time in study was spent looking at what the bible teaches on manhood and womanhood. This study and the thought required to apply it rocked my world. This was a subject very much taboo in my old church. It was a big grace of God to see a fair sized group of young godly people, striving to be biblical against the world. And this certainly is an issue where the world has taken a strong stand against biblical principals in recent years. I look forward to growing in grace with this group next year.

I praise God also, that He has grown me in holiness in the year past, and at the same time revealed yet more sin which needs to be warred against. I realise that this struggle will continue until glorification and I both relish and shudder at the thought of it. Truly Phil 2 : 12-13 applies to me.

There are so many graces I could mention. God has provided me with health, a job, ministry opportunity, talent with computers, talent with musical instruments. Godly elders, worthy of double honour, and most importantly Jesus Christ, my substitute on the cross.

I anticipate that 2011 will be as full as the previous one, if the Lord tarries, even so come Lord Jesus.

Sola Dei Gloria

Philippians 2: 12 - 13

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.